The Hyundai Accent is a subcompact car available as a two-door hatchback or a four-door sedan. The engine is located in the front and paired with a front-wheel drive. The Accent is marketed as an entry-level vehicle with its base price beginning at under $10,000. While it has a fair amount of passenger space and cargo room, some of the Accent's trim levels lack standard anti-lock brakes and the car has not performed well in crash tests.
The Accent is powered by a four cylinder engine that produces 110 horsepower. Manual transmission Accents are predicted to average 28 miles per gallon in city driving and 34 on the highway. Automatic transmission Accents should reach 27 miles per gallon under city conditions and 36 on the highway. The Accent seats five people. Hyundai's design work... View more for the Accent was primarily completed in South Korea. Because the Accent is a global model, it is manufactured in several plants across the world. The plant in Ulsan, South Korea, assembles most of the Accents shipped to the United States.
The Accent has gone through four generations since being released on the global market in 1994. With its low price tag, the Accent has been highly popular in most markets. The first generation was criticized for lack of positive results in crash tests. The second generation offered improvements, although crash resistance is still low because of the Accent's lightweight and small size. Hyundai has continued to adjust standard equipment and trim levels while striving to keep the Accent's price as close to $10,000 as possible.
The hatchback Accent is available in GL, GS or SE trim. GL has 14-inch steel wheels, 60/40 rear seat and a rear window defroster. Available options include air conditioning and bluetooth capabilities. The GL trim does lack a standard stereo. The GS trim offers an automatic transmission, air conditioning and an audio system with six speakers. A Premium package is available for the GS trim with powered accessories and key-free entry. The SE trim upgrades the wheels to 16-inch cast-aluminum, tunes the suspension and adds cruise control. The sedan Accent has only one trim level available. The GLS trim provides similar features to the GS trim for the hatchback model.
Independent automotive reviews have cited the Accent's low base price and high reliability as selling points, but have mentioned the Accent's frequent low scores on crash tests as a concern. Still, the Accent earned a Most Dependable Subcompact Car designation from J.D. Power and Associates and was named by Intellichoice as having the Lowest Repair Costs for 2008. NADA Guides also awarded the Accent a Best Car Buy label and the Car Book 2009 gave the Accent a Best Bet award. View less
